Would Students Prefer to Eat Healthier Foods at School?
Authors:
Gail Woodward-Lopez, Kristine Madsen, Patricia Crawford, Wendi Gosliner
Tags:
students' preferences, child and adolescent health, dietary intake, nutrition and diet, public health, school food environment, school food services, student perceptions
Journal:
Journal of School Health
Year Published:
2010
Policy Summary
This study sought to elucidate students’ perceptions of school food environments and to assess correlations between perceptions and purchasing and consumption behaviors at school. Findings suggest that modifying school food environments to facilitate consumption of healthy foods and limit unhealthy foods will better match students’ preferences and could lead to improved dietary intake. These results indicate that students’ preferences are generally consistent with the recommendations of medical experts, thus adding to the argument to reform school funding streams and food environments so that schools provide healthier environments for students.
